Plymouth

The origins of Plymouth come from Walter P. Chrysler’s takeover of the failing Maxwell-Chalmers car company. Chrysler used the acquired facilities to launch the first Chrysler car in 1924. The first Plymouth automobile was actually a reworked Maxwell and was marketed as a low-end Chrysler “52”. Thereafter, the Plymouth brand would always stand for value and affordability under the auspices of the Chrysler family of cars. The 1960s brought some of the most memorable models such as the Road Runner, Fury, Belvedere, and Barracuda. By 1973, production reached a peak of 973,000 cars, thanks in part to the Plymouth Valiant, which offered value, durability, and style and became its own marque unto itself. While the 1970s may have been notable for the “Volare” commercials featuring actor Ricardo Montalban, Plymouth would never again rise to the same levels of popularity. Eventually, the Plymouth brand lost its uniqueness and car-buyers fell toward the Dodge and Chrysler brands. Despite attempts to break out Plymouth as an automaker with its own style – with the Plymouth Prowler – the brand slipped further into obscurity and was dropped entirely in 2001.

1970 Plymouth Cuda Fast & Furious Edition

Letty’s not the only one who loves the Plymouth Cuda. It may have started out as a rare AAR Cuda, but with the upgrades this prime cut of American Muscle is running, we are talking about well over 600 horsepower of performance. Today, Cuda models bring exorbitant figures at auction; compared to similar-era muscle from GM and Ford, the Cuda is in a class of its own. With class-leading power from the race-bred 426 Hemi, the Cuda, straight from the factory, could hit 100 mph in around 14 seconds. It looked the part too, with bold colors, bulging fenders, and gorgeous details. While most at home on the dragstrip, the Cuda fared well on road courses, especially when driven by the likes of Dan Gurney and Swede Savage. Without a doubt, anywhere you roll this classic, heads will turn.

1970 Plymouth Road Runner Fast & Furious Edition

Beep-beep was the only sound Chuck Jones’ road runner ever made. The famous ground-running bird was never caught by Wile E. Coyote, and owners of Plymouth’s Road Runner very rarely were either. Plymouth created the Road Runner in 1968 as an affordable street-fighter that clung to the roots of what a real muscle car was, all-business. You won’t find flourishes and chrome adornments on the Road Runner. What you will find is a car that was the choice of bootleggers and street racers, a car that was faster than most police cars of its era that could take the punishment without complaints. Before you destroy the competition off the line, intimidate them with the “Air-grabber,” that for 1970 was remotely actuated as well as functional, then let the HEMI 426 do the talking. There won’t be much left to say but “see ya.”

1971 Plymouth Cuda 426 HEMI

This piece of classic Mopar muscle is ready to take names and collect pick slips. The HEMI was known not only for its hemispherical cylinders but for the fear it instilled in those that tried to run against it. Big block muscle was never the same nor will Mopar lovers once they have a chance to put in some laps or spend some time at the drag strip.

1971 Plymouth GTX 426 HEMI

Loud and proud, the high-performance Plymouth wears a contrasting vinyl roof on the semi-fastback design, a large rear-deck spoiler, and plenty of “GTX” badging. Looks aren’t the only outrageous part of this one; when equipped with the rarely-optioned 426 Street HEMI engine option, the GTX is good for 425 horsepower, more than enough to run the quarter in the 14’s. Less than 3,000 GTXs were produced in 1971, and a very small amount left the lot with this configuration, one of the best implementations of Mopar’s “Elephant Motor.” If you were interested in going around a corner rather than simply blasting down the strip, the stiff suspension and wider rear track make the 1971 GTX a noticeably better handler than the car it replaced. Unfortunately, as the muscle car wars wound down, 1971 proved to be the last year of the GTX.